The Courtyard
by XxCandiedApplexX
Summary: Elaine is at a new school, where a courtyard lays in the middle of the school. Nothing seems wrong, but every place has secrets.. 10/26/14: I have decided to re-post this on FictionPress thanks to a review I got. Same username, same story! See you there!
1. Chapter 1

Elaine walked through the halls of her new school.

"How unfortunate." She said to herself as she walked to her locker. Even though she knew she was being irrational, she felt like every single pair of eyes was watching her, staring at her, silently judging her.

She looked at the new locker she had, grateful for being on the top. She looked down to realize the locker on the bottom was unoccupied. Breathing a sigh of relief she cautiously opened her locker surprised at how spacious it was. Usually, the lockers Elaine had in the past were small, but she fit her book-bag inside and closed it the door shut.

The bell rang and Elaine headed for her new class. As she entered, she knew she was rational this time. Everyone stared at the new person who was entering their class. She chose her seat at the back of the class and slumped down her chair. Hopefully, the teacher won't introduce me, she thought. When the teacher, Mr. Smith, entered the room, Elaine felt her hope chest burst into a thousand little pieces.

"Class, today we have a new student joining us, so let's all welcome Elaine!" Mr. Smith said to his class. Elaine shuffled out of her seat and dragged her feet to the front of the class.

"Hi, I'm Elaine," She began, "I'm from-" She was interrupted by someone sitting in the front row.

"Nobody cares!" They said loudly. A few people nodded in agreement, some laughed, or murmured. Others just zoned out or didn't pay attention at all. Elaine felt a burst of anxiousness and looked at Mr. Smith.

"Now, class. I'm sure you all remember your first day, so give Elaine a break, and pay attention." He lectured, "Go on, Elaine."

Elaine was about to tell Mr. Smith she was ready to sit down, when, to her greatest relief, the bell rang and everyone rushed out of class.

Elaine rushed to pack up her things and followed the crowd out the door.

Just before Elaine walked into second period, she passed by a window. Looking through it, she saw a small courtyard in the middle of the school buildings.

There was an oak tree that was planted in the center. Around it, lay four stone benches with small inscriptions from all the years. There was a rack of bikes, which belonged to students. Elaine longed to go sit on one of those benches, eat her lunch, finish some homework. It would be perfect. The bell rang again, and Elaine tried to brave her next class.


	2. Chapter 2

"I'll be home later." Elaine said to her mother. She stuck her phone in her pocket and looked out the window. There seemed to be no entrances to the beautiful courtyard. She looked around again to find cream-colored doors leading out of the hallway into the yard. Cautiously, she stepped near the door and pushed it open. Sunlight streamed into the hallway and Elaine stepped out. She set down her homework on a stone bench and pulled out a pencil.

It had started to get dark when Elaine finished her homework. She packed up her things and started to get up when she noticed an arch near the corner of the school.

"It's so pretty..." Elaine said to herself. She took out her phone and took a few pictures. She walked through the school's front yard and walked home.

When Elaine got home, her mother was busying herself making dinner. She stepped up to her room and shut the door. She looked at the photos she had taken at the arch. Elaine looked closely at the first picture and almost screamed.

_A bright orb had appeared near the camera._

Elaine scrolled through the other photos and watched as the orb turned into a figure of a woman and disappeared in the last one. She wiped her screen to make sure it wasn't something on it.

"I was with a ghost the entire time?" Elaine said shaken. "How? It was so peaceful! I sat on the bench, I ate my sandwich, the ghost didn't bother me once!" Elaine debated what to do.

"Should I tell someone? Should I let this _thing _haunt the school? Should I call the '_Ghostbusters?'" _Elaine paced around her room, confused and a bit scared.

"Time for dinner!" Elaine's mother called from the staircase. Elaine hopped down the stairs and walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, Mom," Elaine said to her mother, "Do you believe in, like, ghosts?" She didn't know where she was going with this, but it _was_ going _somewhere._

"Ghosts?" Her mother asked with a laugh, "Why so sudden?"

"Nothing, nothing." Elaine replied as she sat down at the table. Just as she did, she heard the front door open and Elaine's father walked through the door.

Elaine's mother set down a plate of grilled chicken and a bowl of pasta on the dinner table.

"Mackenzie! Dinner!" Elaine heard her mother scream from the bottom of the stairs. Mackenzie was Elaine's sixteen-year-old sister who spent most of her time in her room on social media or texting her friends. She was two years older than Elaine. Mackenzie stepped down the stairs and sat down at the table. She took a glance around, helped herself to the food and starting texting again.

During dinner, the family talked about what they were going to be for Halloween.

"Maybe I'll be a ghost!" Elaine's father joked.

"Oh, that reminds me!" Elaine's mother said, "Elaine asked earlier if I believed in ghosts!" Her parents began to laugh, but Mackenzie rolled her eyes and said to her sister, "Do you really believe in ghosts, El?" She sounded disappointed with her younger sister.

After dinner, Mackenzie grabbed Elaine and took her up to her room, and into her walk-in closet. She shut the door and made sure nobody could hear them.

"I know you weren't seeing things, El. I used to go the same school." Mackenzie said to her sister. Up until recently, Elaine went to a different middle school across town, but her mother transferred her over to Mistview Middle School because it was closer to their house. Mackenzie attended Cedar Well High School.

"The Courtyard in the middle, right?" Mackenzie said to her sister. Elaine nodded hesitantly.

"See? That's the thing! There was a teacher in 1963 who died from a heart attack. She was buried in a nearby cemetery, but they gave a plaque to pay tribute to her, and they placed it in her favorite place to stay after and before school- The Courtyard. They say her spirit haunts the courtyard because she still loves the way the wind blows through and the sun shines in." Mackenzie took a dramatic pause to scare Elaine a bit, "She's harmless really, but every ten years, on Halloween, she mourns and waits for someone to place a flower on her forgotten grave. It's really sad."

Elaine had never been to sad about a story and decided that this year;

_She was going to be the first one to place a rose of the poor teacher's grave._

* * *

_Hello! I'm sorry this is so short, I had to improvise some of it because I was typing half of this in school._

_I think I'd consider myself a younger version Mackenzie. I'm constantly on social media, and sending messages to my friends. Like I've said before, some of this non-fiction. There is a courtyard in the middle of my school, but there are no ghosts- That I know of..._

_Real talk, though, I have a lot of classes on the inner side of the school near the courtyard. Even the cafeteria is overlooking the courtyard and the front yard of the school at the same time. It's a beautiful view, really._

_See you in the next chapter!_

_-Apple_


	3. Chapter 3

The next day, Elaine walked to the courtyard and set down her lunch on a stone bench. She was alone, but teachers could be heard from the classrooms chatting up their colleagues. Elaine finished her pizza and packed her garbage away in the brown bag. As she was about to get back into the school, a girl stepped into the courtyard with her own lunch. She didn't notice Elaine was standing at the exit behind her.

Elaine almost dropped her books on the floor. It couldn't be, Elaine thought. But it was hopeless. Elaine knew who was sitting at the stone bench.

The girl sitting at the stone bench was Elaine's ex-best friend and arch nemesis, Meghan Vasi.

Elaine debated what to do. She wondered if she should confront Meghan or just walk away. Her first instinct was to confront her, for she had a mouthful to say. Meghan had betrayed Elaine in the third grade.

Elaine's school had allowed the third graders to have small cubbies, like gym lockers. After Elaine had trusted Meghan with her combination, Meghan shouted it off the playground's highest monkey bars and everyone knew Elaine's code. When Elaine opened her cubby one day, her water bottle and her favorite headband was missing. Meghan swore she had never told a soul, but Elaine told her there was no point in lying and that she saw and heard her scream the combination.

Elaine was surprised at how puberty had hit Meghan like a bus. She had long, light brunette hair which ran down her tan back. It was straightened and curled in some places. She had short black boots with lacing and a small, golden zipper. She was wearing a blue sweater with stripes on the inside and the sleeves rolled up.

Meghan had began to scroll through her phone, not paying attention to anything around her. Even when it had started to become cloudy, the light seemed to illuminate Meghan as she blankly stared into space. She unrolled the sleeves, which were long around her hands. She outstretched her arms and set one sleeve-covered hand over the other.

Elaine had actually zoned-out at Meghan's beauty. She almost needed to slap herself on the cheek to bring herself back to reality. She couldn't start _liking_ Meghan! Elaine wasn't one to hold a grudge, but Meghan had betrayed her, told her code to _everyone._ Kids went into Elaine's locker and stole things. It was unforgivable in her opinion.

Finally, the bell could be heard ringing inside the school and Meghan got up, tossed away her trash and began packing up her belongings. She looked up and did a double-take. Elaine knew, just _knew_, Meghan had seen her.

* * *

_I honestly described my boots for Meghan. As I have mentioned before, I write in school, specifically in a study hall I have every other day which is held in the Tech classroom. My friend was next to me, and I was one minute away from the bell ringing. I have never seen so many typos in my life. Must be a world record. _

_Remember to leave a review and follow! _

_-Apple_


	4. Chapter 4

"Elaine Cynara? Is that you?!"

Meghan walked over to Elaine. She had a smile so large, Elaine almost thought it was fake. Until. Until Meghan came up to Elaine and gave her a large hug. Elaine was highly suspicious. Could four years change a person so much?

"I have missed you so much, Elaine!" Meghan squealed in excitement, "Now I have someone to hang out with! I was super lonely."

Elaine couldn't believe her ears. Meghan. Evil, sick, menacing, betraying, no-good, Meghan, was actually being..._ nice? _It couldn't be.

Meghan walked to her bag and unzipped the top cover. She pulled out a small trinket bracelet. Instantly, Elaine recognized the bracelet. After all, she was the one who made it. Elaine had put together the bracelet and given it to Meghan when they were best friends.

"I've held onto it ever since." Meghan said. Elaine's eyes diluted as Meghan dangled the small trinket around.

Elaine tried to change the subject.

"So, what class are you late for?" She asked Meghan. Meghan quickly glanced at her schedule in her binder and turned back to Elaine.

"Study Hall, room 124." She said promptly. Elaine looked at Meghan with a half disappointed smile.

"Me too.." She said, with a fake laugh. Now she had to put up with Meghan for another forty minutes? Elaine dreaded the next class. What did the future hold for her?

When the two left the courtyard, Elaine guided the way to their Study Hall. Elaine walked quickly in front of Meghan as she stared at her new school, admiring the lockers and trophies and plaques. When they arrived in the class, Elaine handed the pass to the teacher and they took their seats.

Meghan, happy as could be took her seat next to Elaine. She didn't catch Elaine's sigh of disappointment. She stared longingly at the other empty seats. She wasn't usually the rude type, but Meghan had something that just annoyed Elaine. Elaine got annoyed easily sometimes. They were people she didn't like, and always said that 'Every single time they open their mouths, stupid comes out.' To Elaine, Meghan had her mouth open constantly.

Finally, after what seemed like eternity in a day, the class ended and she was off to seventh period, her favorite of all-Art. Her art teacher, Mr. Byron was setting the tables for their still-life drawing project. Art was Elaine's savvy. She was constantly painting or drawing, or filling something in with a charcoal pencil.

About a quarter of the way through class, there was a knock at the door. Mr. Byron opened the door and a hall-monitor started explaining to him what had happened. There, stood Meghan, who was apparently lost and had to ask the monitor for help.

Mr. Byron greeted Meghan and welcomed her to the class.

"Class, this is-" Mr. Byron said.

"Meghan." Elaine interrupted unconsciously. Everyone turned to look at her.

"Did I say that out-loud? Sorry.." She said sheepishly.

Mr. Byron smiled and brushed it to the side. "Meghan, welcome to my art class! Right now, we're doing still-life drawings with plastic fruits and these flower vases. Class, please let Meghan see your drawings as she walks around, so she can get an idea of what to do. Sit anywhere you would like, Meghan." He said to her.

Elaine noticed there was an empty seat next to her. She quickly set her binder down on it and went back to drawing.

"Ooh! Elaine! I didn't you were in this class!" Meghan squealed. "Can I sit?"

Seeing no point in being rude, she moved her binder and let Meghan sit. Mr. Byron brought Meghan a pencil and a piece of drawing paper.

"That's a nice drawing, Elaine." Meghan said. Elaine looked over to see her smiling. Meghan turned to her own paper and picked up the pencil. After a few minutes, Meghan's artwork had detail and great value. Mr. Byron came around to look at everyone's papers.

"Very nice." He said to a boy sitting a few seats down from Elaine. He stopped at Meghan's drawing and beamed.

"This is great! Wow.." He said. Everyone crowded around Meghan's drawing to see what Mr. Byron was off about. They murmured in awe at Meghan's drawing.

Mr. Byron looked at Elaine's drawing and said, "It's nice, but, add some highlights. Maybe Meghan can help you!" He moved on to another student at the next table.

"Yeah.." Elaine said under her breath.. "I bet she could.."

Elaine wasn't in the least bit surprised when Meghan was in her eight period class, too. It was going to be a long English class.

* * *

_We're kind of seeing another side of Elaine. This is the side I call "The Bi-Polar Bear" _

_Don't ask.. I just improvised that.. _

_We can kind of see some drama forming for Elaine &amp; Meghan. Are you looking forward to that? _

_I will get back to the teacher later in the story if you were wondering. Right now, I cannot believe how long I have been sitting here writing this chapter without stopping. It's almost been an hour, and I think it's time for me to get to bed. I am **exhausted.** _

_Remember to leave a review and follow!_

_-Apple_


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